When I decided to take my hobby to the next level, I had a decision to make. My collection was growing and I was starting to produce animals, which also means holdbacks. Both of those things meant I needed more caging. My options were purchase racks or make them myself. I had made racks in the past and let’s just say it wasn’t difficult to make the choice to buy professional racks. I decided I wanted a metal rack that would last me as long as I needed it to. After looking for awhile, I decided to go with ARS. I got the 5040 and the 7030 hybrid models. Their hybrid line is made from 83% recycled materials. This also makes those models a little more cost effective. I looked at these racks as investments for grow outs and sub adults before they graduate to 4ft cages.
One thing I like about these ARS racks is that they give you the option for grey or clear tubs and either with cup holders or no cup holders. I opted to go with the grey tubs with cup holders for 16 oz deli cups for both racks. ARS ships the racks unassembled on a pallet and you have to put the rack together. I got the biggest model of each size rack so it took some time but overall it was very easy. The directions they give are incredibly clear and easy to follow. All you need is a drill and a rubber mallet for assembly.
Both racks came with 5-inch heat tape connected to panels to distribute the heat evenly. That is something that these racks do is keep constant temps. Once I dialed in temps, they stayed consistent for me. The racks hold humidity fine as well. I live in Florida so I honestly never have an issue with humidity in any cage. They also come with a 4ft power strip that all the heat panels plug into and you just zip tie the strip to the back support on the rack to keep everything together. I run these racks on a VE-200 D thermostat. I personally like these thermostats due to the fact that they can run as proportional thermostats and have safety shut off features. Two things that I feel are very important for any thermostat you use for any rack.
Last thing I want to talk about are the tubs themselves. They are high quality tubs; food grade was what came to mind when I first started using them. They are very easy to clean. All rounded in the corners so you don’t have to worry about a mess getting into the corner seams. I’ve had mine for about 3 years now and the tubs have held up great to the abuse I have put them through. The tracks that tubs slide on and have to support their weight have held up great as well. ARS uses high quality materials, even in their hybrid models to make sure their product lasts.
So overall I really like both of these models from ARS. They are very easy to put together. They are easy to work with, cleaning a whole rack takes no time at all. I do plan to get more of their products in the future and highly recommend any of their racks to anyone looking to step up their caging if they are looking for a professional rack system.
